Carving A Niche
by AVeryBattyMind
Summary: Slight AU. New/Uncanny X-men verse. Jean Grey is struggling with her marriage to Scott. Bobby is trying to cope with his second mutation. Jean Paul is still dealing with his feelings for Bobby. And Emma Frost is just along for the ride! As events unfold, these four will try to find their place in the world. Slash. Next chapter on the way guys. I promise a full explanation.
1. Chapter 1

_**Carving A Niche**_

_Author's Note: This is my first time writing a fanfic and it's about Marvel characters. To clear the air, I'm a DC fan…as my name may imply. However, X-Men has always been one of the Marvel Comics I enjoyed reading. I'm not really that familiar with the timeline, a lot of what I know is from reading other fanfics (Hence the slight AU warning, I just had an idea and rolled with it).I really NEED a beta as well! So if you want to lend a helping hand by giving me some information, feel free to message me! Now edited, well as much as I noticed, I fixed. Please review and Enjoy __._

_Disclaimer: The X-Men belong to Marvel, this work is entirely fictitious and comes from the mind of a fanboy. Besides I'd much rather own Batman._

_Warning: Slight AU. Eventual slash. Northstar/Iceman, Emma Frost/Jean Grey. _

**Chapter 1**

"Merde." Jean Paul groaned loudly as he reread the paper for the fifth time. He massaged his temples gently and began to wonder why Julian Keller can never write a decent essay. The topic was simple enough, 'What Can Mutants Do To Help Stimulate The Economy?', the Canadian could think of at least ten reasons off the top of his head for that subject. All of which can fill up a five page paper, never mind the two page essay he assigned.

"He must do it to irritate me, why else would he turn in a paper of half-assed garbage," Jean Paul thought savagely, anger and stress from the week bubbling up inside him. He stood up abruptly, knocking his chair down and stared at the papers on his desk in distaste. The thought burning the papers in front of his students next Monday flitted through the speedster's head. It's not like they would care anyways, most of the work he received had obviously written last minute and then turned in.

Jean Paul sighed deeply. It was Thursday night, the students would be gone for an all-day field trip tomorrow and he wouldn't have to see their faces until Monday. Jean Paul's shoulders sagged as the fury slowly leaked out his body. He's been grading papers since school ended and it was nearly nine at night now. The students were out on the grounds enjoying themselves, teachers were out either chatting amongst themselves or supervising the students, and he had been working since he first woke up. First to manage some business issues concerning budget cuts and stock options before zooming back to teach his classes for the day. The Canadian mutant suddenly felt very tired.

"I think…it would do me good to take a break from this." He muttered softly, striding out of the dim room and into the brightly illuminated halls of the mansion. Although he would never admit aloud, he still slightly marveled at the Xavier Institute For Gifted Youngsters. Not at the fact that the mansion was gigantic, no he had seen more than enough of those. But rather at the fact it was just so many mutants in one place, just trying to live a normal life. Well, normal as it could ever be.

"A rather interesting concept that the American government has had qualms about…probably still does. They're worried that Xavier will turn his students into trained soldiers, an army of X-Men that he controls." Jean Paul thought wryly, chuckling softly to himself at the notion, beginning to make his way down the cool marble staircase, hands lightly gliding over the railing.

While the Professor has always been pacifistic, if slightly manipulative in nature, he didn't have any ambition beyond mutant equality. Once that was achieved, Jean Paul supposed the X-Men would become a sort of peace keeping force among mutants.

"Which we sort of are now." Jean Paul mused to himself as he finished descending the stairs. "Wait…we? Am I beginning to think of myself as an actual X-Man? Mon dieu, I need a coffee." The Quebecois groaned and quickened his pace to the kitchen.

He could almost smell the hot, brewing pot of black liquid when a very loud yell broke him out of his caffeine-related thoughts

"GODDAMMIT BOBBY, QUIT BEING SO DAMN STUBBORN!"

Jean Paul certainly did not expect to hear that name. Robert Louis Drake, also known as Iceman, was another reason for Jean Paul's stress. It's no secret that Robert is attractive. Jean Paul has often found himself ogling at the younger mutant whenever Robert wasn't looking. But lately, he had been developing deeper feelings for the blonde.

It wasn't just the looks that attracted him anymore. Jean Paul found himself liking Robert's other traits. His childish quirks, his ability to always crack a joke no matter how bad it was, his easygoing nature, and most of all, his optimism for life. Something the Quebecois envied him. All of these qualities the Iceman possessed, had Jean Paul feeling an emotion he hadn't felt in quite a long time.

Well, that was until a few weeks ago. Robert had become rather distant and cold as of late. Alienating his friend through rude remarks, being sarcastic with the students, he even told Logan to screw off.

"The Professor had to telepathically intervene to defuse that situation," Jean Paul recalled with a slight shudder, remembering the fear he had of Robert being literally mauled by his fellow Canadian friend.

Robert was quickly losing all of the qualities that defined him as special and different to Jean Paul, and it wasn't a pleasant event for the French speaking mutant to watch unfold.

"He should be becoming more unattractive to me…yet all I want to do is comfort him in my arms and find out what's troubling him...I need to stop falling for straight men." Jean Paul thought bitterly. He slowed his steps and tentatively walked into the kitchen.

If looks could kill, both Warren Worthington and Bobby Drake would be dead already. Jean Paul would have snorted at the hilarity of the situation if he didn't sense the tension in the room.

Warren was standing up, his breathing coming out in angry bursts. His wings were completely outstretched in its full glory, taking up nearly half the kitchen. Bobby was still seated, but his hands were gripping the table tightly, frost forming slowly on the metal surface.

"I don't even care anymore Bobby! You've been rude, irritable, and just a damn nuisance to everyone! You won't tell anyone what's bothering you and you keep taking your anger out on us! And ya know what? I don't care. You're not even my best friend anymore. My best friend was the happy-go-lucky Bobby, who didn't let anyone get him down. Who didn't take his problems out on other people! And who isn't this moody, rude...selfish brat!" Warren snarled, taking no notice of Bobby's shocked and hurt face at his sharp words. Jean Paul winced as the winged mutant's words became harsher.

"And that's how you're gonna be remembered if you don't begin to mend ties right now! The self-centered little brat with no friends!" Warren shouted, eyes blazing. He opened his mouth to continue his tirade when Jean Paul decided to intervene and coughed loudly.

Both heads shot up in his direction in surprise. Warren's face took an ugly shade of red, while Bobby simply looked bewildered and a bit embarrassed that someone had been listening to their argument. The older blonde was the first to speak up.

"What the hell do you want?" Warren demanded angrily, chest puffing out as if to make himself look more intimidating.

Jean Paul felt his blood pressure rise a notch and his lips form into a sneer. He did not leave his room to deal with the childish moods of the winged mutant. "Arrête de me chercher, sinon je te casse le bras. I just came here to get some coffee." Jean Paul informed him coldly, taking a mug from the cupboard and began to wash it in the sink. He didn't trust the cleanliness of the silverware here and made a habit to wash whatever he used before he used it.

Warren snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, whatever. I'm done here anyways." Warren shot another glare at Bobby before leaving the kitchen, making sure his wings bumped Jean Paul on the way out. The Quebecois stared murderously at Warren's retreating figure before glancing back at Bobby.

The younger mutant had his head cradled in his arms on the table's surface. Jean Paul could make out the redness in his eyes and his heart went out to him.

"I'm going to regret this." Jean Paul thought to himself, his heart already pounding dangerously fast.

"Sometimes, I wonder how cocky bird-boy would be if I were to punch him at the speed of sound. It's just something I fantasize myself doing whenever he's being…what's the word you use in America…an asshole? I wouldn't ever do it…unless he really did give me a reason." Jean Paul said aloud, glancing at Bobby to gauge his reaction.

Bobby had lifted his head slightly to quirk his eyebrows at him, a bemused look on his face despite his watery eyes. "I didn't know that Warren took up so much time on your mind, never took him to be your type. But hey, whatever floats your boat." Bobby joked lightly, his voice cracking slightly.

"Oh un dieu non! Robert, I would much rather kiss one of my students than think of Worthington in that way," Jean Paul replied with a small smile on his face, relieved Bobby had decided to play along. He quickly cleaned another mug in addition to his and made his way to the coffee machine.

"How do you like your coffee Robert?" Jean Paul asked as he began to make his own, pouring French Vanilla milk, caramel, pumpkin spice, and Splenda into the drink.

"Oh I don't want any, thanks though." Bobby said quietly, head going back into his arms.

"Robert, I think that after what you just endured, you need some coffee. Unless you want black, you better speak up fast" Jean Paul looked back at Bobby with raised eyebrows.

Bobby gave a mirthless laugh. "Yeah I suppose so, right?" Bobby said bitterly, eyes still red and hands clenched into fists. Jean Paul wished he could hug him so badly right now, run his hands through his soft looking blond hair and rub his back soothingly, just to give him some sort of comfort.

"I'd like mine with French Vanilla milk and just lots of Splenda, if you don't mind." Bobby's voice broke Jean Paul out of his thoughts. The Canadian made eye contact with the other mutant and regretted it almost instantly.

Bobby's eyes were still red, but wider and innocent, as if he was asking his mother for a bedtime story. It was absolutely adorable to Jean Paul. He cursed God toying with his life by making him infatuated with people he could never have before giving Bobby a small smile.

"Lots of Splenda...why am I not surprised?" Jean Paul chuckled and began to make Bobby's drink.

"Hey, I like my drinks sweet! What's so wrong with that?" Bobby cried out indignantly, a small grin creeping on his face. Jean Paul felt pleased that he got a smile out of him and allowed himself to laugh.

The Quebecois set both steaming cups down on the table and slid Bobby's cup over to him. The mood became calmer as they both took sips out of their drinks. Bobby broke the silence first.

"So what made you wanna get a drink of coffee this time at night?" Bobby asked curiously. Most of the older members of the X-Men were outside with the students, not in the mansion.

"I was grading essays in an effort to get them all done so my Friday and weekend would be relatively free. But then I came across Julian Keller's essay and decided I needed a little pick me up." Jean Paul sighed at the memory of that essay. That kid really had a knack of getting on his nerves.

Bobby's grin widened. "Yeah, he can be a bit of a pain to deal with but he's honestly not that bad! He just needs to get to know you more." Bobby assured him.

"Oui, that will happen when Worthington shows up at my door with a box of chocolates and professes his undying love for me. And I'm confident that will never happen, Otterpop." Jean Paul said dryly.

"It just may! I bet those chocolates are being bought at this very moment," Bobby laughed, causing Jean Paul to smile back at him, his heart fluttering at the sight at Bobby's grin and his positivity returning. "Wait, Otterpop? Why did you call me that?" Bobby furrowed his eyebrows, an amused gleam in his eyes.

"It's just a nickname." Jean Paul said, waving him off.

"Well, what does it mean?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes!"

"I guess I'll keep it to myself then." Jean Paul smirked evilly

"WOW. I'm hurt dude, I really am," Bobby said dramatically, clutching his heart to emphasize his point. "But two can play at that game…C-Star."

Jean Paul was unimpressed.

"Seriously, is that the best the nick name you can come up with? What does the 'C' even stand for?" Jean Paul took a sip of his coffee, raising one eyebrow.

"That's for me to know and for you to never find out!" Bobby teased, his smile reaching his eyes for the first time in weeks.

Jean Paul rolled his eyes and gave a small smile. He was actually enjoying himself. He hasn't talked to Bobby like this since…well he has never talked to Bobby like this at all.

"So what brought you down here then Otterpop?" Jean Paul asked without thinking, happiness briefly overriding his common sense.

The playful, lighthearted atmosphere seemed to dissipate like the air coming out of a popped balloon. Iceman frowned and looked down at his nearly finished cup of coffee.

"I wanted to be alone for a while, away from everyone else…then Warren came in." He said softly, eyes closed tightly shut.

Jean Paul wanted to kick himself furiously for ruining the mood. Just like that he somehow was able to ruin the best conversation he ever had with Bobby.

"Je suis desolee. Robert, I did not mean to…" Jean Paul trailed off, giving Bobby a worried look.

"It's fine. I think I should be going though, I have my own students' assignments to go over." Bobby gave Jean Paul a tight smile and got up from his seat, dumping his mug into the sink as he began to leave.

"Robert!" Jean Paul called out, making Bobby halt his steps, his back still facing the Quebecois.

"I just want you to know…that if you ever need someone to talk to…I'm here, mon ami. I won't force my company on you but… I am here if you need me." Jean Paul said from his seat, his eyebrows set in a V from worry.

Bobby turned around slowly. "I just may take you up on that…C-star" He said softly, giving Jean Paul a small half smile. The younger mutant turned back and exited the kitchen, leaving a slightly surprised Canadian.

Jean Paul watched Bobby leave with slight surprise. He certainly hadn't expected Bobby to say that. It made him wonder if he really would take him up on the offer.

Jean Paul stood up and washed his mug in the sink before heading back upstairs to finish grading more papers. He sighed. "Robert Drake…what's going on in your life to make you change so much." Jean Paul thought sadly as he began to climb slowly up the stairs.

So engrossed he was in his thoughts about the Iceman, that he didn't notice the figure leaning on his door frame until it spoke.

"My, my. Someone seems to be distracted." An elegant voice purred out.

Jean Paul's head shot up at the sound of another presence other than himself. He berated himself for letting his guard down. "Dammit Drake, see what you do to me?" Jean Paul thought annoyed.

"Emma Frost, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Jean Paul scowled at the smirking blonde woman.

"Oh stop scowling Mr. Beaubier, it doesn't befit a man of your standing." Emma said, arms crossed on her chest, slightly accentuating her cleavage.

"My apologies, I have a lot on my mind as of late." Jean Paul sighed, running a hand through his black and silver streaked hair. Unlike the majority of the staff at the facility, he really didn't have anything against Emma Frost. In fact, he found her presence quite refreshing.

She was the one other mutant in the facility who had the sophistication to keep up with him in complex conversations. Besides Annie, Emma's company provided somewhat of a relief for him.

Emma's smirk fell off her face, her mouth tightening into a grim line. "As have I, Jean Paul, as have I." She said softly, eyes narrowed in thought.

"And what's been on your mind lately Emma?" Jean Paul raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Something not to be discussed here," the telepath scoffed. "Meet me tomorrow for lunch at three. I need someone to discuss this with. Someone who doesn't hate and with half a brain." She rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Oui, I will meet you there. What else have I got better to do?" Jean Paul replied sarcastically, a small smile on his face.

"Oh I can think of a few things, most of which include you ogling at a certain mutant's ass." Emma's smirk returned at the sight of Jean Paul's face blanching. He opened his mouth to speak but Emma beat him to it.

"No, it's not that obvious…well it is…but he still doesn't know your feelings toward him. So don't get worked up dear." Emma winked at him as she lifted herself off the frame and started to strut away.

"See you at lunch, please don't be late. You know how much that irks me." Emma waved a hand behind her, her heels clicking on the marble stairs.

Jean Paul sighed heavily. "And people think that blondes are airheaded and dumb…if only they could meet Emma Frost…or even Robert." He mused in his head. Suddenly he let out a loud groan. He still had to grade Julian Keller's paper…and about a hundred more.

"Why did I accept a teaching job here again?" Jean Paul grumbled to himself as let himself in his room.

* * *

Jean Paul yawned for the tenth time as he looked over the shelves in search of a good book. Grading papers took longer than expected and kept him up until two in the morning.

He woke up at ten to start his daily routine, which included a set of sit-ups and push-ups as well as a jog around the grounds.

A quick shower, a bowl of cereal, and a change of clothes later and he was at the local bookstore.

The Canadian really had nothing planned for the weekend, so he decided to scour the bookstore for some written forms of entertainment. It helped that he got a discount for being a well-known author. Sadly, the stock of the book store did little to impress him.

"50 Shades of what…What is this trash?" Jean Paul muttered to himself in annoyance. He continued to search until he found something that struck his interest.

Eventually he settled on _The Great Gatsby, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest, _and _Sweet Tooth. _Jean Paul was satisfied with his choices. He enjoyed reading books that contained drama, suspense, and a good plot.

The French speaking mutant went to get in line when he saw a familiar head of red hair standing in line with her own bag of books. Jean Paul took in a sharp breath when his mind put the name to the woman.

_Jean Grey._ Omega-level mutant, powerful telekinetic, and vessel of the psionic entity known as the Phoenix Force.

"Take her out of a battlefield, and she's as intimidating as a puppy." Jean Paul chuckled to himself, eyeing the impatient redhead who kept shifting from foot to foot. Jean Grey was the one who recruited him to the X-Men, first to rescue Professor X from Magneto after witnessing him stop someone from killing him at a book signing.

The Quebecois respected the kind, level headed woman and thought fondly of her. Jean Paul made his way toward the powerful mutant, who currently looked like she was about cry from frustration.

"Excuse me Ms. Grey, but it seems you may want to calm down before you end up hurting yourself, non?" Jean Paul asked gently, making the redheaded woman jump in surprise.

"Jean Paul you scared me!" Jean exclaimed, clutching the books a bit tighter.

"I wish I could calm down but I've been waiting in line forever. The old couple in front of the line keep asking questions about their books…now they're trying to haggle the price of it." Jean's eyes narrowed into a glare at the old couple in question, who currently were loudly arguing with the clerk over their books.

"Well…it could be worse. No one's trying to kill me this time, eh?" Jean Paul joked lightly, earning a half-hearted smack on the shoulder from Jean.

"Don't joke about those things!" She replied seriously, but there was an amused twinkle in her eyes.

Jean Paul shook his head with a slight smile, he was about to comment on the shooter not even being a real threat when he noticed a title from the books Jean was holding.

"Is that my book?" The Canadian asked in surprise, squinting at the cover to be sure. Jean blushed in lightly. "Yes…it is. I've been curious to read it and if it helps me get to know you as a person better then, it's all the better." Jean replied, still slightly embarrassed, face still red.

Jean Paul snorted. "That's fine Ms. Grey or is it Mrs. Summers now? I forget sometimes" Jean Paul said in a teasing tone expecting to see another smile from the redhead. Surprisingly, her face fell at the mention of her husband's name.

"Actually, Scott and I haven't been so good ever since…the incident with Apocalypse." Jean said softly, hugging the books closer to her body.

"Oh? Is everything alright?" Jean Paul inquired gently, a bit worried for the redhead. Jean flashed him a tight smile. "Yeah, he's just been distant. I'm sure he'll come around though." She said reassuringly, although to Jean Paul, it sounded as if she was trying to reassure herself.

"Next in line please." The haggard looking book clerk called out.

"Oh thank God." Jean sighed in relief. "Well I better buy these and get back to the Institute, the Professor said he needed my help with a few things. Bye Jean Paul!" Jean happily waved goodbye to the bemused mutant and went to pay for her books.

Jean Paul shook his head and watched as Jean paid for her books in a hurry and rushed out of the store. The Quebecois quickly paid for his books and glanced at his watch. "Merde…it's nearly three." Jean Paul said under his breath as he all but ran out of the building. He'd rather not see an angry Emma Frost.

* * *

Jean Paul hopped out of his sleek, black Mercedes convertible. He winced at the time. As he entered the five star restaurant. Like himself, Emma was fully capable of finding restaurants that actually served good food. What some considered posh and classy, they considered normal. This one was fittingly titled: _Paradiso In Stasis_.

It was supposed to be a heaven-on-Earth type of setting. The entire restaurant was white. White tables, white curtains, real silver silverware, etc. The only thing not white was the ceiling, which was pitch black with carefully painted stars, representing a perfect starry waiters and waitresses were in pure white outfits, wings designed on the interior of the outfit. The dim lighting in the atmosphere caused the outfits slightly glow. Add the high quality food that it served and it quickly became a top notch restaurant.

"Well…only five minutes late." Jean Paul said to himself. The maître d' escorted him to a private booth near the back of the restaurant where he found a rather annoyed Emma Frost.

"Five minutes late Jean Paul… I don't like to be kept waiting." She sniffed disdainfully, Jean Paul sighed. Only Emma would be anal when it came to time. Jean Paul's mind froze at the word 'anal' and Bobby popped into his mind. Suddenly, his pants didn't feel so comfortable anymore and he quickly took a seat.

"So Emma, what did you want to discuss?" Jean Paul asked, quick to the point and rather curious to why she wanted him to come outside of the institute. He eyed the other patrons from their private booth with a critical eye.

"Jean Paul, why don't we order first? We're here to have lunch after all. I took the liberty of ordering some white wine for us already." The blonde telepath said with a sigh, brushing her tresses away from her face.

Jean Paul rolled his eyes.

"As you wish, oh White Queen." He replied with a smirk. Emma smiled sweetly and delicately uncurled a manicured finger, raising it up to his face in response. The Quebecois scoffed in amusement as their waiter arrived to take their orders.

Jean Paul ordered the prime steak with a side of romaine lettuce with fried oysters, Emma ordered the turtle soup with a side of shrimp dipped in beurre blanc. The waiter complimented them on their, "Excellent choices!", and went to put in their order.

"So Emma…why did you ask to talk away from the Institute." Jean Paul questioned, stirring his wine absently. It was a 1978 Chateau Latour, quite crystalline and delicious.

Emma took a small sip out of her glass and gently patted her lips with a napkin. "I don't feel comfortable talking about…certain things there." She admitted quietly. Jean Paul motioned for her to continue on.

"Something has been…off lately. Not just the usual drama among the X-Men. I've been feeling anxious lately, the feeling you get during a calm moment before the storm. You know it's coming, you just don't know when." Emma paused as the waiter came to refill both their glasses. Both of them took a sip before she continued.

"Call it intuition but something is happening there…I sense…a large amount of mental stress during the night. I've tried to trace it back, but it was to no avail. The only people powerful enough to cause that big of a telepathic disturbance and without leaving a mental trail to follow back to the source are the Professor, Jean Grey, and myself. I can barely sleep at night anymore naturally, I have to take Nyquil. And even that won't always work." Emma stated annoyed.

It was clear that this problem had been bothering her for a while. Jean Paul scrutinized Emma's appearance closely. Now that she mentioned it, there were slight bags under her eyes and she seemed to be blinking longer than necessary.

Jean Paul took a sip of his drink thoughtfully. "Well, if what you're saying is true, then either the Professor is up to something or…there's another unknown telepath somewhere on the grounds that's on the same level of our most powerful telepaths." Jean Paul said softly. An uneasy feeling pervaded the atmosphere of the table until the waiter came with their food. They quietly thanked him and began to eat.

Halfway through their meal, Emma spoke up after finishing her soup. "Anyways Jean Paul, I just wanted to warn you…and to make sure I had at least one ally on my side should I need to investigate." The aristocratic woman chuckled.

Jean Paul quirked his eyebrows. "Yes my liege, when the metaphorical storm hits I shall…be at your back…or is it have your back? I can never remember" Jean Paul said annoyed as he finished the last bite of his delicious, tasty steak. The juice of the meat sparking his taste buds. Jean Paul let out a little content sigh.

Emma observed him in amusement. "Jean Paul, dear…I'm quite confident that the only back you will ever be at, or want to be at, will be Bobby Drake's." She said with a wicked grin. Jean Paul nearly choked on his wine.

"Why do you say that?" He sputtered, embarrassed at what she suggested. Although it did have a ring of truth.

Emma flicked a strand of hair backwards. "Jean Paul, I talk to Annie too. She can't really keep a secret from a telepath. And it's not that hard to tell whenever you're ogling his ass. Which is finely sculpted by the way." Emma winked at him. Jean Paul groaned and put his head in his hands.

"Why do you taunt me Emma, you know he's straight." The Canadians miserable reply came muffled from the confines of his arms. The blonde woman smirked at him. "I wouldn't be too sure about that." She said innocently.

Jean Paul's head shot up. "Emma…you better not be joking" He growled. Emma put up her hands. "Listen darling, when I was in his head I saw a lot of things. For now I'll just say that Bobby has some issues regarding his sexuality and that you have a bigger chance than you think" Emma smiled at Jean Paul's pleased expression.

"You can't just leave it at that! Tell me more!" Jean Paul demanded, his curiosity demanding to be sated. Emma's smile morphed into a smirk.

"Now, now…I have a little favor to ask of you. In exchange, well…the Professor would like Bobby to see me for some therapy sessions and in return I may suggest a sort of date with you." Emma's eyes twinkled. "Anything!" The Quebecois declared with a flourish of his hands.

"I want you…to get Jean to talk to me." She stated. Jean Paul did not expect that.

"Jean Grey? Why?"

"Let's just say… I may be interested in her" Emma sniffed, pretending to examine her fingernails. Jean Paul let a loud laugh, prompting several stares from the other patrons. He ignored them and shamelessly continued to laugh.

"My, my, Emma. You never told me you were bisexual." Jean Paul's grinned.

"I don't like labels, I prefer the concept that states you can't help who your body is attracted to!" Emma cried indignantly. "Plus it wouldn't hurt to talk to her about the telepathic interference as well." She mused absentmindedly.

"Sure, whatever you say White Queen." Jean Paul snorted. Emma glowered at him.

They continued to make small talk for a few minutes until the bill arrived, which they split. Emma waved goodbye to her French speaking friend and departed in her silver Porsche. Jean Paul smiled to himself, the chances of him and Robert together being actually possible brightened his day.

Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease he got when he thought about Emma's mystery telepath. Jean Paul shook his head and hopped into his car. "It's probably just Jean or the Professor testing out new abilities." He thought to himself as he started the ignition.

He'd rather not consider the possibility of an unidentified psychic roaming around the school. It unsettled him. Jean Paul scowled as the feeling of unease from earlier returned.

"I think it's time for me to go to bed. I've had a long week." Jean Paul thought tiredly, exiting the restaurant driveway and heading back to the mansion. The sun setting in the horizon making a beautiful mix of orange and yellow to end the day.

**Arrête de me chercher, sinon je te casse le bras- Don't fuck with me, or I'll break your arm.**

_Author's Note- Please review! What you liked, what you hated, I want to hear it __. Message me if you are interested in beta'ing, or just providing some helpful information regarding the X-Men timeline. Anything is appreciated xD._


	2. Chapter 2

_**Carving A Niche**_

_Author's Note: I'm trying to put this story under all four characters: Iceman, Northstar, Jean Grey, and Emma Frost. But it only comes up in the search engine of Iceman and Jean Grey. For now it will stay under Northstar and Iceman. If anyone has advice on how to deal with this issue please comment with it! And to clear the air, this version of Bobby doesn't have that awful brown hair. It's short, blonde, and a bit spiky, I'm sure most of you can picture it. This chapter will take place from Emma's point of view. Views will alternate depending on what what's necessary to the story. Thanks for those who reviewed! I now have a beta! __ I also updated my profile should anybody be interested in that._

_Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men or its characters. This work is entirely fictitious. _

_Warning: Slight AU. Eventual slash. Jean Paul/Bobby Drake. Emma Frost/Jean Grey. It also gets a bit more intense in this chapter. Not as lighthearted as before. _

**Chapter 2**

_Emma was on Genosha again, only this time there was something different about it._

_The skies were a dim red, and the corpses surrounding her constantly leaked blood, forming a river of the substance which soaked the ground below her. A sense of foreboding and danger was in the air, making the hairs on Emma's neck prickle._

_She followed the trail of blood, carefully maneuvering her way around the carnage, and tried not to look too much at the bodies, some of which were probably her former students. As she moved, the environment began to change. The wreckage surrounding her became more familiar, less tarnished, and clearer to Emma's eyes as the atmosphere thickened, the smell of salt, sulfur, and rotten flesh permeating the air. _

_Emma continued walking alongside the river. She followed it until it stopped in a massive trench in front of a large building, torn apart as if an explosion had recently taken place there. The telepath took in a sharp breath as the debris became recognizable—it wasn't from the facilities stationed on Genosha._

_It was the X-Mansion, Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters. _

"_Dear god…what happened here?" Emma whispered, horrified, tentatively peering down the trench. "That's impossible!" She cried out, becoming violently sick to her stomach, and quickly veered away from the trench to puke on the ground._

_Emma wiped her mouth with a shaky hand and got to her feet unsteadily, clutching her stomach. She saw their bodies. All of their bodies._

"_The Professor…Wolverine…Jean Paul, Bobby…the Cuckoos…Julian…Sooraya…Nori, even Jean," Emma whispered, choking down the bile threatening to rise up again in her throat._

_A deep, sinister laugh tore Emma out of her disbelief. She whirled around, anger coursing through her veins as her body shifted into diamond form._

_The man in front of her was at least six feet tall, with chestnut brown skin and black hair falling about his shoulders, and was immaculately dressed in a jet black suit. His handsome, chiseled features were marred by the feral smile spread across his face._

"_What. Did. You. Do?" Emma demanded, eyes smoldering with white hot fury. The man simply smirked at her, the bloodthirsty gleam never leaving his eyes. He watched her with amusement, putting his hands up in mock fear. _

"_Giving you a little preview of what's to come." The man spoke slowly, his smirk widening. His voice was deeper than any person she's ever heard, almost inhumanly so. _

_Emma eyed him warily—something about this man screamed danger, and every part of her was screaming for her to get away from him. "What do you mean by 'what's to come'"? Emma asked carefully._

"_You'll find out soon, Ms. Frost. And you're going to wish you didn't, because what you've witnessed here is nothing compared to what I will do," the man sneered, his tone malicious. Just as Emma lunged for his throat, the man clapped his hands and all went black.  
_

* * *

Emma awoke with a loud gasp. She sat up quickly and took a deep, calming breath. Her skin was sweaty and clammy; she felt wetness around her eyes.

"What the fuck was that?" Emma muttered to herself, throwing the bed covers off and turning on the lamp by her bed before heading to her small bathroom. The blonde splashed water on her face and stared at herself in the mirror.

Her face was skull-like in the dim lighting of the bathroom, her blonde her framing it in thin, sweaty strands.

"I look disgusting," Emma thought, annoyed, and began to strip off her clothing while turning on the showerhead. Completely nude, she stepped into the shower and moaned in relief as the water landed on her skin.

As the telepath began to bathe, she pondered upon what had just happened. That was the worst telepathic disturbance as of yet. Instead of the bloody images that usually woke her up, someone delivered a mental manifestation to her.

Emma didn't mention the images to Jean Paul when they talked yesterday—she didn't want to worry him with exactly what disturbances were occurring, but that was something she would have to reconsider now that this had happened.

"At least we can rule out Jean and the Professor…but that still leaves the question of who exactly our mystery mutant is," Emma mused to herself, the hot water coursing down her back as she massaged shampoo out of her hair. She soon finished bathing and wrapped a towel around herself, then stepped back into the bedroom and glanced at the time.

"A quarter after five. A bit early, but I'm sure Jean Paul won't mind the interruption. I think my dreams are a bit more important than his wet ones at the moment," Emma thought to herself.

The blonde put on a silken, white pajama top and sweat pants, then slid her feet into white slippers and quietly left the room, closing the door tightly shut behind her. She padded lightly down the halls before she came to Jean Paul's room. Instead of knocking, she simply sent a mental probe to jolt him from sleep. In response, the psionic mutant heard a muffled groan and the sound of a body thumping on the floor.

Emma had to stifle a giggle. Sometimes being a telepath had its perks.

"_It's Emma, let me in," _She said mentally, already looking around to see if anyone awoke from Jean Paul falling out of his bed.

"_I know. No one else would wake me up at this time in the morning via a psychic bolt. Merde, that hurt," _The Canadian replied in annoyance.

"_Quit whining. I know you wanted Bobby in his knickers to be at your door, but it's just me, so hurry up and open it." _Emma rolled her eyes, her impatience growing.

The door opened suddenly and a shirtless, muscular Jean Paul stood behind it, a dark scowl on his face. "Emma, you need to stop making jokes about Robert, it's starting to get ann-"

"No, I **need** to talk to you about what just happened. I have some information about our new telepath," Emma interrupted, walking past him and into his room. Jean Paul raised his eyebrows skeptically, but closed his door and locked it behind him. He leaned against the wall and stared at the blonde woman on his bed.

"Alright, what just happened?" Jean Paul asked, watching her look over his room with an approving eye. "I really like your style Jean Paul. Then again what's to be expected, you aren't like the rest of these people we live among," Emma replied as she surveyed an expensive portrait of Jean Paul and his beloved sister, Jeanne-Marie.

"Emma, you said you had something to tell me," Jean Paul groaned, his frustration at being awoken beginning to show on his face.

"Oh it's better if I show you, dear," Emma said dismissively and replayed the memory of her dream to the mind of the Quebecois. Jean Paul's eyes widened, jaw dropping in shock as the disturbing dream unfolded inside his brain.

"Jean Paul, please do close your mouth. You're beginning to resemble an ape and I'm afraid that at any moment now, you'll start beating your chest like a madman," Emma observed, rather amused. Only the higher timbre of her voice gave away how much the dream had affected her.

Jean Paul promptly closed his mouth and began to apologize.

"Je suis desolee, Emma. I didn't mean to act like that after you just…merde." The Quebecois cursed at himself, running a hand through his hair. Emma waited patiently for him to calm down.

Jean Paul took a deep breath and looked at Emma gravely, his eyes dark with combined fury and apprehension. "So what do we do now?" he asked quietly, gaze never leaving the telepath's face.

"For now, we wait. I'm going to bring this to the Professor in the morning. If that yields no information, then we'll have to embark on our own investigation," Emma replied quickly, mind already calculating various options.

"Even if Xavier did know something, he wouldn't share it with a former Hellfire member, I doubt he'd even share it with one of his own X-Men. The man can be so damn secretive regarding some subjects… So when the visit with the Professor **does** yield nothing, we need to know where to begin," Jean Paul remarked, eyes narrowing at the thought of the Professor withholding information he didn't believe necessary for others to know.

"Well, I don't know where exactly. I have an idea…but in order to do that, we'll need to recruit some people," Emma smirked knowingly, causing the French-speaking mutant to eye her with interest. "Okay…go on. Who do you have in mind?" Jean Paul inquired, curious.

"Well, Annie, of course. We need another mind to bounce ideas off of, and I'm sure her position and expertise in medicine will be useful somehow," Emma stated matter-of-factly, Jean Paul nodding his approval. "Jean Grey is necessary as well. She's the most powerful psionic mutant in this facility, other than Xavier, and I'm confident that the odds will be that much more in our favor with her on our side. Plus, I'm confident the Phoenix Force won't allow her to die." The blonde finished with a smile on her face.

"But, wasn't she also dead in your dream? I do not understand." Jean Paul frowned, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yes, but that was **his** belief of what's to come, with only his knowledge. The possibility of him having more knowledge than us regarding the Phoenix Force is highly unlikely. Jean barely knows its capabilities herself, only noting that it seemed reluctant for her to die. This also reveals a significant flaw in our mystery mutant: overconfidence." Emma's smile grew a few molars in triumph at her deduction.

"That's right, whoever you are. You want a fight, now you're getting one, and I won't roll over," the telepath thought, feeling a small sense of satisfaction.

"Alright, that makes sense," Jean Paul conceded, his eyes taking on a thoughtful look. "Anyone else or is that it?" He asked offhandedly.

Emma looked at him with a wicked gleam in her eyes—Jean Paul immediately felt himself get nervous. "Well, I was considering dear Bobby to join us as well. It wouldn't hurt for another Omega level mutant to back us up in this investigation…plus, I'm sure you'd enjoy the bonding time," she said innocently, unable to completely wipe the smirk off of her face.

Jean Paul's face became a storm of annoyance and irritation.

"Emma—" He began angrily, before being interrupted by the blonde woman.

"Listen, I'll leave that decision up to you. But just consider the options before making a rash choice based completely on your emotions," Emma said seriously, the playful tone fading out of her voice.

Jean Paul rolled his eyes. "Oui, I will. Now, is there anything else?"

"No, I suppose there isn't," Emma sighed, walking past her annoyed friend to the door. She was beginning to turn the door handle when she stopped, back facing Jean Paul.

"Jean Paul…things are going to change. I don't know when, but it's better to have done everything you wanted to before it simply becomes another fantasy in the past. You will regret it if you never take a chance, trust me," the blonde spoke quietly before walking out of the room, the door lightly closing behind her.

Jean Paul sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I know, mon ami, I know," he muttered to himself as he walked back to his bed. He only hoped he could go back to sleep, the image of his own corpse still burned in mind.

* * *

"Sorry Ms. Frost!" Cessily Kinkaid, otherwise known as Mercury, cried out as she nearly collided with the telepath in a rush to get her friends.

"Come on Ces! We're going to be late! The others won't wait for us!" Julian Keller yelled out, a good few meters ahead of the Irish girl.

The younger mutants were hosting a barbecue to end their extended weekend—Xavier had already approved of it as long as there were adult supervisors. Cyclops was at the grill and all of the students couldn't wait to chow down. Most of them, in fact, were curious how his renowned ribs would compare to Wolverine's signature hamburgers.

Emma nodded absentmindedly as the young mutant apologized again before running off to catch up to Julian. Normally, Emma would have been irritated or amused depending on her mood at the time, but right now she was more focused on how to approach the professor.

"This will be an…intriguing conversation," Emma thought wearily, knowing the Professor's habit of skirting around an actual answer. The blonde continued to walk to his office, taking a deep breath to compose herself before knocking.

"Who is it?" A voice called from behind the door.

"Emma Frost," she replied shortly. The door opened wide to reveal a smiling, older man in a wheelchair. "Ah Emma! What's brought you here?" He asked kindly, his demeanor very much resembling a beloved grandfather.

Emma was not fooled. She quickly moved passed him and sat in a seat, crossing her legs as she waited for him to roll back to behind his desk.

"We need to talk Xavier," Emma said haughtily, clasping her hands calmly in front of her despite her tone.

"About what?" Xavier questioned, his tone curious, a smile never leaving his face.

"Well, it all started…" Emma began to tell the Professor of her recent experiences, carefully skirting around telling Jean Paul or her plan to investigate. The headmaster's smile slowly shrunk until his mouth was set in a stern frown.

"I see…and you have told no one about this yet?" He asked carefully, his tone ringing alarm bells in Emma's head. "I knew it. I knew the old man knew something about this." She thought to herself.

"No, no I haven't. Not yet," Emma lied, keeping her mind protected so he wouldn't try a mental probe to make sure she was telling the truth. Thankfully, he didn't—he only nodded sharply, his mind obviously off in other places.

"Good. Please, keep it that way. All I can tell you, that I know, is that the mutant you're talking about is extremely dangerous. So dangerous in fact, that I'd rather look into the issue myself if you don't mind, Ms. Frost. I don't want to involve the X-Men…this mutant is beyond their current caliber. I will deal with this myself. Understood?" The older mutant replied, eyes narrowing at the blonde.

"If you wish, Xavier," Emma said while rising from her seat, her mind already exploring a variety of options on how to investigate this mystery mutant. She was halfway to the door when the Professor spoke up.

"By the way, Emma," Xavier called out, "could you please find out what's bothering Bobby? As I recall, I did ask you earlier since you do possess a degree in psychology. I would ask Jean, but she has enough to deal with since Scott's return." Emma rolled her eyes. She knew what he was doing; trying to distract her with other tasks so she wouldn't have time to focus on the issue at hand.

"Nice try old man, but I'm not that easy to shake," the telepath thought smugly. She turned around and smiled sweetly at him.

"Why of course I will, it'd be a pleasure to help out a fellow team member. I was just unsure on when you when you wanted me to start the sessions," Emma's reply oozed sarcasm.

The Professor beamed at her. "Thank you, Ms. Frost. It would be wonderful if you could start immediately. I'm quite glad you're already starting to bond with the team," he said happily.

Emma gave him a tight nod before turning back around and walking out, letting the door slam behind her. As soon as she left, the Professor's smile dropped off his face. Xavier sighed deeply.

"I never thought…I'd ever see that face again," he said tiredly, rubbing at his eyes. The Professor knew he'd have to do something to resolve the situation as soon as possible.

But with a school to manage as well as the X-Men, the burden the powerful telepath had been carrying seemed to grow. The strain of it was getting to be too much, and Xavier, for the first time since he became bald, felt very old.

* * *

Emma could have growled from the sheer frustration she felt as she stormed away from Professor Xavier's office.

"That old man thinks that he can just order me around like I'm one of his X-Flunkies," the blonde practically snarled. "The audacity and ego of these people never fail to astound me. I swear if- Emma?" A voice interrupted her inner monologue. Emma stopped her rapid, angry pace and glanced behind at the person who called her. She nearly groaned aloud.

Bobby Drake was nervously fidgeting side to side, his fingers constantly twining and untwining in some sort of pattern. The only reason Emma didn't continue walking away was the determined glint in the younger mutant's eyes.

"Why…does whatever deity out there enjoy fucking around with my life?" She thought miserably. Not even trying to hide her displeasure, she sighed deeply and turned around fully to face the ice-powered mutant.

"What do you want, Drake?" Emma asked. The constant fidgeting was beginning to annoy her.

"Well…I was just thinking if…you c-c-could help me out, please?" Bobby stuttered out nervously, already beginning to feel as if this was a bad idea.

Emma gestured for him to continue. Bobby started fidgeting even more, looking up quickly into the older blonde's eyes.

"Can I tell you somewhere else? Like my room?" He asked quietly.

"Sure, now lead the way and stop wasting my time," Emma said exasperatedly, she was beginning to lose the last little shred of patience she had.

The younger blonde nodded quickly and began to lead her to his room.

Emma watched his movements with a bit of curiosity. His steps used to be confident—not an arrogant stride like Cyclops had or a slow, dangerous gait like Wolverine had, just self-assured and secure in himself. Now, he seemed more…tense. Iceman's steps were quick and uneven now, lacking the former certainty they used to possess. It almost troubled the older blonde.

"If I really wanted…I could always just take a peek inside his head. Bobby has always been easily susceptible to mental probes. Although that seems pointless, his nervous behavior earlier shows me he's ready to tell me everything," she mused internally, almost not noticing they had stopped in front of his room.

Bobby held the door open for her. Emma smirked at that.

"I guess chivalry isn't dead," she cooed before entering. Bobby allowed a half smile to grace his face before becoming nervous again.

The first thing Emma noticed about his room was that it was cold—not freezing, but definitely a few degrees less than most rooms in the mansion. That also ended up being the only thing she noticed, because Bobby chose to speak up at that moment.

"So…as you know…I've been pretty much a jerk to about everyone lately." He rubbed his neck in embarrassment.

"I don't really care about that. Honestly, I could care less about nearly everyone at this facility." Emma waved him off.

Bobby's face morphed into fury.

"Yeah, well I do care about what they think. And you should too! After all, we did take you in after Genosha. Remember that? You nearly died, a whole lot of your students **did** die, and your attitude to us ever since you woke up from the coma has been rude, cold, and condescending. Not even a thank you! God, why'd I even ask for your help?!" Bobby ranted angrily at the somewhat shocked telepath. The older mutant recovered quickly, however.

"Bobby, I'm going to stop you there. You asked for my help because you have been **rude**, **cold**, and disrespectful to all of your little friends," Emma said, putting emphasis on the word 'friends'.

"So right now this is a prime example of the pot calling the kettle black. And to revise my earlier statement, there are some people whose company I do enjoy. Annie and Jean Paul for instance. I decided to hear you out due to not only a request the Professor made, but also because the mood around here has been terribly glum ever since you became…depressed? Whatever. In any case, the rest of my patience will dissipate if you **ever** mention the incident on Genosha again." Emma finished coldly, eyes gleaming dangerously.

The younger mutant visibly deflated in front of her. He looked rightfully abashed.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for that to come out like it did, it's just…well…God, I'm a dick." Bobby groaned and fell on his bed with a considerable bounce. Emma allowed a little smile to fall onto her face.

"Yes, you are. But not as big of a dick as some other people," Emma stated honestly. "Now, what is it you wanted to tell me?"

The younger blonde rolled over and sat up on the bed, legs crossed. "You know that in order to have a relationship, scratch that, to even have friends, you have to be…well…be warm. Ya know?" Bobby paused, looking at Emma to see if she understood.

"Not sure if I'm following you, but go on," she said, a bit confused, the ice-powered mutant obviously wasn't giving her complete answers. Bobby nodded and went on anyway.

"Well…during the battle with Black Tom, I got stabbed and…" Bobby trailed off, lifting his shirt instead to show her.

Emma's eyes widened. There was a patch of crystal blue ice on the blonde's chest. It stretched from just below his nipples to the top of his abs. The patch was almost transparent, organs and bones faintly visible beneath it. Thin, spidery lines spread out from the main patch, like blue veins coursing through the flesh.

Bobby looked sadly at it before sliding his shirt down. "In two weeks, it doubled its size…and it keeps spreading. Soon, I'll be nothing but ice," the younger mutant finished morosely, his voice barely above a whisper. Emma looked at him with understanding.

"And you're worried that once you do, all of your chances of holding a relationship…will vanish," Emma concluded, a frown on her face. Bobby nodded numbly, hugging his knees tightly.

"I'm sorry Bobby…I really am. But why did you tell me about this? Why not your friend Hank? He seems better suited to this type of thing," Emma inquired, a bit concerned.

The ice-powered mutant's face brightened up considerably.

"Remember when you took over my body and you were able to do all those things I didn't know I was capable of doing? Or when you helped me return back to human form because my powers were tied with my emotions and I just needed to control them. I was thinking that…I don't know…that maybe you could do it again?" Bobby asked hopefully, looking at the telepath for an answer.

Emma frowned deeper, thinking over the situation before responding.

"I don't know Bobby, maybe. Judging that Black Tom Cassidy gave it to you, my methods may not be of much help. I think it'd be wiser if you brought it up with Hank," Emma said a bit skeptically.

"I know…I was just hoping that…whatever. It doesn't even matter anymore. I can't even keep a girl. They either decide to turn into a star or go running into the arms of Alex Summers when given the chance," he said miserably, resting his head in his hands.

Emma saw a chance to not only bring up Jean Paul, but to also get Bobby to visit Hank.

"Well, maybe it's because you're not meant to be with women," Emma said carefully, watching the younger mutant's reaction.

Bobby's head shot up and he gave her a guarded expression.

"What makes you say that?" He asked suspiciously. The older blonde rolled her eyes.

"Darling, I've been inside your head. We both know that you're lying to yourself if you insist that you're still completely heterosexual. You have a ton of unresolved issues regarding your sexuality and maybe…it just may help with your dilemma," Emma suggested slyly.

Bobby's face turned beet red. He opened his mouth slightly, before closing it and looking away, thoroughly embarrassed.

"Even if I got rid of this thing, it's not like anyone would want me. Not when you have guys like Gambit around, basically sex on legs. I'm just Frosty the goddamn Snowman compared to them," Bobby spoke bitterly from experience, familiar feelings of heartbreak creeping up on him.

"I know someone already interested in you," Emma said lightly, enjoying the surprised look the younger mutant shot her way.

"W-what? W-who?" Bobby sputtered out timidly. Emma smirked evilly.

"I'll tell you, but only on the condition that you tell Hank about the patch on your chest," Emma said sweetly, causing Bobby to protest indignantly. After listening to a few feeble reasons as to why he couldn't tell Hank, Emma raised her hand.

"Then I suppose I can't tell you who likes you then," the blonde woman sighed dramatically, causing the younger blonde to pout. "Fine," he muttered.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that?" Emma held a hand out by her ear.

"I said…fine, I will tell Hank about it. As long as we still work on my powers and you tell me who this person is." Bobby smirked, and Emma narrowed her eyes. "Damn, kid is smarter than people give him credit for," she thought.

"If that's what you want, then yes. But you need to tell Hank," Emma relented. Bobby grinned.

"Yeah, yeah. Now, who likes me?" Bobby asked curiously, excitement beginning to show on his features.

"Jean Paul." The telepath answered simply. Bobby gaped at her.

"Really? Him? But…he's so rich! And smart! Why would he like me? He could have any other guy he wanted! I just found out he was gay! What does he see in me? What should I do?" Bobby continued to babble.

"Robert. Do you like him back?" Emma interrupted, amused. Bobby itched the back of his neck.

"I don't know…I mean he's attractive. And he's been pretty cool since he got here. He's nice to me too. But, how much do we have in common? It turned out me and Lorna had pretty much nothing in common and you see how that worked out!" Bobby replied worriedly, beginning to work himself up.

"Just ask him out on a date then," Emma's voice cut through to Bobby's head.

"But…what if he says no and he doesn't really like me?" Bobby asked in a small voice.

"We all have to take a chance Bobby." Emma sighed. She walked over to the cross legged mutant and gave him a one armed hug, leaving the blonde man in shock.

"If it's of any help, that was meant to inspire you!" Emma called out from behind her shoulder as she left Iceman's room. Before she closed the door, she heard Bobby's incredulous voice shouting, "Did you really just hug me?!"

Emma shook her head in amusement. She had to admit she was beginning to become rather fond of Bobby. The telepath supposed she should warn Jean Paul that Bobby may approach him with an interesting proposal soon, but she quickly decided against it.

"No reason to spoil the fun of others," she thought wickedly.

Two voices arguing loudly broke Emma out of her thoughts. The blonde quickly descended down the stairs where she saw a large congregation of students and teachers alike being audience to the argument. Emma even spotted Xavier talking in hushed tones to Storm.

"Wow…I knew things were bad between them but never **this** bad," Bobby's voice came up behind her. He must have come down not long after she left. Emma nodded silently, too distracted by the spectacle in front of her.

"Goddammit Scott! I'm sick of this! I'm sick of you not talking to me, ignoring me, and treating me like the fucking enemy!" Jean Grey screamed at her husband, who was just as furious.

"What am I supposed to say Jean? That I wanted to be controlled by Apocalypse? That I wanted to not be able to trust you? What the hell do you want me to say?" Cyclops retorted angrily.

"I certainly didn't expect that when I tried to kiss you, for you to push me to the ground! Instinctively or not, I'm sick of this. I was part of the team that rescued you from him and you can't even open up to me about anything anymore!" There were tears streaming down Jean's face.

"It's not my fault Jean! I'm sorry for pushing you but you need to understand there are some things that you can't help me with! I just need to be alone!" Scott shouted in frustration.

Jean took in a deep, shuddery breath.

"Maybe, it would be wise if we could both be alone," Jean said quietly.

"What…what do you mean?" Cyclops's face blanched.

"Until we get it together, I want a legal separation," Jean said resolutely.

"You…you wanna divorce me?" Scott looked like he was about to be sick.

"No, I'm not sure… I don't know. We just need a break. I get to hear barely three consecutive sentences from you each day if I'm lucky. Since this month has been full of your decisions, this is one I'm making. It'll be good for both of us if we spend some time away from each other. Goodbye, Scott," Jean said in such a tone of finality, not one person questioned it.

And without the use of her telekinetic powers, Jean Grey made the crowd of mutants disperse before her and disappeared into the depths of the mansion, leaving many bewildered people and a very shocked Cyclops in her wake.


End file.
